High-Performance FeRu Alloy Electrocatalyst Integrated with a Mo Substrate for Hydrogen Evolution Reaction in...

Area of Science:

• Electrochemistry
• Materials Science
• Sustainable Energy

Background:

• Hydrogen production from seawater is crucial for sustainable energy but faces challenges from slow hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) kinetics and seawater's corrosivity.
• Developing efficient and stable electrocatalysts is essential for overcoming these hurdles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel electrocatalyst for efficient hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in alkaline and seawater environments.
• To investigate the performance and stability of the developed catalyst.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of an FeRu alloy electrocatalyst integrated with a Mo substrate (FeRu/MoO₂@Mo).
• Electrochemical characterization of the catalyst in alkaline solution, simulated seawater, and real seawater.
• In situ Raman spectroscopy and theoretical calculations to understand the catalytic mechanism.

Main Results:

• The FeRu/MoO₂@Mo catalyst achieved low overpotentials for HER: 22 mV (alkaline), 42 mV (simulated seawater), and 65 mV (real seawater) at 10 mA cm^-2.
• Demonstrated long-term stability, maintaining activity for over 400 hours in 1m KOH.
• In situ studies revealed Fe incorporation optimizes Ru's electronic structure for enhanced hydrogen adsorption-desorption.

Conclusions:

• The FeRu/MoO₂@Mo electrocatalyst is highly efficient and stable for HER in challenging seawater conditions.
• This development provides a scalable and cost-effective strategy for non-platinum catalysts in sustainable hydrogen production.